Peanut Butter Taste Test

With 12 judges and 21 jars of creamy peanut butter, things got a bit sticky. But we tasted them all and found 3 completely addictiveby Carolina Santos-Neves

A
mericans eat about 700 million pounds of peanut butter each year, so we think it's safe to say that the gooey stuff is a staple in many people's diets. Given peanut butter's indispensability, a taste test of the major brands was in order. But we had a hard time figuring out which variety to try.

It used to be that you could buy only creamy or chunky, but these days, shopping for peanut butter has become an exercise in the unknown. There are honey-roasted, chocolate, reduced-fat, whipped, organic, and all-natural varieties, to name a few. Options also include store-ground, no-stir, and cute single-serving packets. But in the end, we decided to stick with the classic: smooth and creamy.

Many of our judges were extremely excited about this taste test, announcing at the beginning that they were sure to vote for their favorite brand. In the course of the blind tasting, however, some people learned that, when tasted side by side, a completely different brand won their hearts. We all agreed on certain essential traits: The perfect smooth peanut butter should be spreadable and luscious, not too pourable or oily. Nor should it be dry and granular like bread crumbs. It should taste pure and fresh, like ground salt-roasted peanuts, not waxy chemicals. And lastly, it should be resilient in any circumstance, whether on a cracker, with a banana, in a dressing, or, most telling, just licked off a spoon, as was our mode of tasting.

Best Creamy Peanut Butter Overall

Pros: This choice combined all the traits we were looking for: Packed with flavor, it also had the perfect creamy texture. "It's luscious, spreadable, and I want another spoonful!" said one judge. It was a bit sweeter, so some fans of more natural styles were slightly skeptical, but most found its balance of sugar and salt to be "just right."

Cons: Contains sugar, so not the healthiest pick.

First Runner-Up

Pros: Judges found this pick to have a delectable smooth and fluffy texture. "This one almost seems like it's whipped," stated one editor. Another said, "This brand nails it on the head. It's not too gooey, so it doesn't stick to the roof of my mouth, yet it's divinely thick and not overly rich! I would recommend this one, but not share it."

Cons: Some tasters found it too salty.

Second Runner-Up

Pros: Judges loved how this brand married the pure, peanut-y flavor of natural peanut butter with a thick and smooth texture more often found in standard styles. One person noted, "The toasted peanut flavor is so authentic, and it's just perfectly salted."

Cons: Some might find the fairly orange color unappetizing.

The Other Contenders: The Bottom Three

Justin's Organic Classic Peanut Butter may come in a simple, stylish container, but that doesn't hide the fact that it's bland and salt-deprived. Judges also complained about its mealy and dry-yet-sticky texture, and some thought it tasted like it had spent too much time on the store shelf. One judge, however, suggested that perhaps Justin's might be salvageable in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Santa Cruz Light Roasted Creamy was another disappointment. It was unpleasantly grainy, yet also too soupy and oily, and tasters found the flavor to be a combination of wax and cardboard. One tester said it best: "This option is not grainy enough to be chunky and not smooth enough to be creamy." Earth Balance Natural Creamy Peanut Butter was described as tasting like dirtperhaps due to the fact that it contains flaxseeds and agave syrup. Judges also objected to its ambiguously gritty and dry, rather than smooth, texture. One editor said it tasted rotten, with an offensive aftertaste.

Methodology: In a blind taste test, judges compared the flavor, consistency, and appearance of 21 varieties of peanut butter. All were tasted without bread or crackers. We ranked them according to the Epicurious four-fork rating system (four being best).